Drew Harwell of the Washington Post offers an in-depth piece on how some managers are using “tattleware” and other methods to monitor their employees obtrusively. Don’t Do It. 

Do Focus on Modern Work Design

Results from a study of 2,228 organizations find that “high investment in training, employee empowerment, incentive compensation, benefits, and empowered work design] results in increased productivity, which allows for further investments to extend the [modern design approach] and refine it to fit the local context.” Note that obtrusive monitoring is not on that list.

Be Flexible, Experiment, Support Finding Better Ways to Work

Do allow your employees to negotiate with their teams and you to craft their work. Even when we’re not C.O.F.ing (using a Crisis Online Format) given COVID-19 shut-downs, work crafting offers those who know the work the best to make adjustments that benefit the organization and the employee.

Few employees new to remote work are in situations that are perfect for the situation. It may take time for people to find their best approach — and as the world changes, we may need to change again. Even a friend of mine with over a decade of experience within a remote-only organization was challenged given the COVID-19 environment. Stay-at-home requirements shift how she and her family spend their days. That said, she did what I often suggest here: Don’t just change one thing. She and her husband looked at the whole situation and made the adjustments they could to improve their situation. Think in 5T to get yourself started: Target, Talent, Technology, Technique, appropriate for the Times — Thinking in 5T™

Consider Self-Monitoring

Today, we track our steps, our “likes,” our grammar, the success of our “bots,” and our own attention. (Here’s a nice list of ways to manage your own attention - I appreciate that it starts with a quote from Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon.) Where I think we can do more is to turn these tools toward our own work practice. Think about, and hopefully use evidence to assess, where and how you are most productive, responsive to your needs, and supportive of your colleagues. Try something and then make adjustments as you learn more.

If You Do Use Company-Based Monitoring: First Do No Harm

A 2018 review offers this summary point, as well as the longer list below:  “Implement only if monitoring is crucial to organizational functioning because monitoring typically elicits negative responses regardless of implementation.”